“But that idea is in the lap of the Gods really as  I haven’t held any talks with the current owners Pernod Ricard,” he said.

News Wyndham Estate will close its cellar door and restaurant at the end of October was announced this week.

The property at Dalwood has a long frontage to the Hunter River and is one of the country’s iconic vineyards.

It was the site of some of the first vines planted in the colony by George Wyndham who also built Dalwood House.

The house is heritage listed and the owners have said they will continue to maintain the property and the home despite it not being open to the public.

Mr McGuigan described his former home as being absolutely beautiful and he paid credit to Orlando the Australian division of the French based Pernod Ricard for the excellent job it has done maintaining the property.

The McGuigan connection  with the property started with his late father Perc McGuigan who purchased Wyndham Estate in the 1960s.

Mr McGuigan and his wife Fay along with two partners purchased the vineyard from his father in 1970.

In 1985 their private company was publically listed.

In 1990 that company was taken over by Orlando.

At that time the McGuigans left the vineyard and started their own successful wine company McGuigan Wines.

Orlando purchased another vineyard the former Hermitage Estate on Mistletoe Lane at Pokolbin.

It was renamed Black Cluster and has recently  bought by a Chinese importer.

Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association , general manager, Gus Maher said the property was one of the Hunter’s most significant vineyards.

“When it was owned by the McGuigan family it was a major driver of wine tourism not only in this region but the entire country, “ he said.

“In its heyday it was nothing for it to attract hundreds of tourists on any given day.

“It is a beautiful property due to its location on the Hunter River but unfortunately that location away from the main tourist hub at Poklobin may have led to the decision to close the tourist facilities.”